Directed by: Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza.
Written by: Jaume Balagueró & Luiso Berdejo & Paco Plaza.
Starring: Manuela Velasco (Ángela Vidal), Ferran Terraza (Manu), Jorge-Yamam Serrano (Policía Joven), Pablo Rosso (Pablo), David Vert (Álex), Vicente Gil (Policía Adulto), Martha Carbonell (Sra. Izquierdo), Carlos Vicente (Guillem Marimon), María Teresa Ortega (Abuela), Manuel Bronchud (Abuelo), Akemi Goto (Japonesa), Chen Min Kao (Japonés), Maria Lanau (Madre histérica), Claudia Silva (Jennifer).
[Rec] 2 (2009)
Directed by: Jaume
Balagueró & Paco Plaza.Written by: Jaume Balagueró & Manu Díez & Paco Plaza.
Starring: Jonathan D. Mellor (Dr. Owen), Óscar Zafra (Jefe), Ariel Casas (Larra), Alejandro Casaseca (Martos), Pablo Rosso (Rosso), Pep Molina (Padre Jennifer), Andrea Ros (Mire), Àlex Batllori (Ori), Pau Poch (Tito), Juli Fàbregas (Bombero), Ferran Terraza (Manu), Claudia Silva (Jennifer), Anna García (Mari Carmen), Manuela Velasco (Angela Vidal).
Back
in 2008, I made the mistake of seeing Quarantine – the then new horror film,
starring Dexter’s Jennifer Carpenter – before seeing [Rec], the film Quarantine
was a remake of. Typically, I do try and see the original before watching the
remake – but that’s doesn’t always happen. I didn’t much like Quarantine, and
that dislike has kept me away from the [Rec] series as a whole ever since. I
always meant to go back and see them – a desire that was renewed every time a
new [Rec] film opened (there have now been four – and according to Wikipedia
anyway, that’s it). Seeing as how I saw Quarantine seven years ago, I didn’t
really remember why I didn’t like the
film, so I went back and read my review – in which I basically said I liked the
idea, and didn’t like the execution. Well, I finally – at least partially -
rectified my over, watching the first two [Rec] films back to back – which
works remarkably well, since although made two years apart, the story in 2
picks up almost precisely where the original leaves off. Together, they two
films are all take place on one long night.
The
first films follows Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco), an intrepid, beautiful
young reporter filming a show called “While You’re Asleep” – which is seemingly
about things that happen at night. This night, she is spending her time with
the local fire department – going through their mundane, nightly routines if
they don’t have a call, and praying for something interesting to happen.
Finally, they do in fact get a call – and the firefighters head into the
building, with Angela and her cameraman right behind her. The woman they have
come to help goes insane pretty quickly – and attacks the men, biting one
before she can be subdued. And before anyone knows anything, the entire
building has been sealed with all the residents, the firefighters and Angels
stuck inside. Just a precaution they are told – but they don’t believe it. It
appears something bad is going on here – and the one crazy lady isn’t the last
one we’ll meet.
The
film is in the “found footage” genre, and it’s better than most of the films
that the genre has produced. The entire movie is from the POV of Angela’s
unseen cameraman – and the film figures its way out of a problem that many
found footage horror films never do – why it’s all being filmed. At first, it’s
a new story – and an exclusive at that, as no one else is in the building. This
is a way to document everything that is happening – and Angela wants it all
captured. As the movie progresses, the power goes out – the camera has a light
on it, when no one else does, thusly pointing the camera at the action makes
sense. And finally, in the climax, when the light is no broken, the camera’s night
vision capabilities work wonders as well.
The
second film picks up right where the first one leaves off – but with a
different POV. A SWAT team is being sent
to the apartment building – where they
will enter and follow the orders of whoever is in charge. This is Owen (Jonathan
D. Mellor), who tells them there has been an outbreak in the building, and they
need to find something and then get out. This part of the movie is told from
the POV of the various cameras the SWAT team is wearing – mainly sticking to
one, but will switch if need be. Later on in the film, the POV will change to
group of teenagers with a camera –who sneak into the building, making the
biggest mistake of their lives.
The
primary benefit of the first two [Rec] movies is the speed at which the action
takes place. Both have a few minutes to setup their basic premise, and then
dive headlong into the action, and do not let up for the rest of their running
time. Directors Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza are smart enough to keep the
running time low – neither movies hits 85 minutes in length – and they never
wear out their welcome. From the moment the horror starts in both films, you
get the sense that anything can happen – anyone can die, and something is
always lurking around every corner. Escape is impossible – and survival
seemingly is as well.
The
films are zombie films to be sure – and follow the tropes of those films in
many respects. Yes, these are “fast” zombies – or at least not slow,
Romero-like zombies which are clearly far superior in every respect (deal with
it) – but for a movie like this, that is the right choice. The first movie
doesn’t give many indications of why all of this is happening until the end of
the movie – when the religious undertones take center stage for a few minutes.
This is much foregrounded in the sequel, and the [Rec] films become films about
the waning influence of religion – and the mistakes made by the church. At
least they are when they’re not trying to scare you, which is roughly 95% of
the time.
And
they work. I don’t think either film is a masterwork by any means – but both
films build suspense rapidly, and keep you in their grip for 85 minutes or so,
giving you all the scares and blood and viscera you could possibly want. Unlike
truly great horror movies, I don’t think the movies really get under your skin
– or haunt your nightmares (they didn’t with me anyway) – but they are
effective when they’re playing. I know I won’t wait 7 years before I watch the
third and fourth installments.
No comments:
Post a Comment